Speaking of being outrageous... I've used all of Canon's 70-200Ls except the f2.8 II, and I can say that the 80-200L "Magic Drainpipe" more than matches every single one of the newer lenses in image quality. Focus speed it is slightly slower but not by much (you won't notice unless you are shooting demanding subjects like sports or birds). I've owned 4 copies of the 80-200L, and all of them had great AF accuracy on my various Canon bodies from T2i to 7D to 5D Mk II. And yes, I have actual photos to back myself up

mmullen
wrote:

GordonAtWork
wrote:

They still command a decent second hand price and will certainly be on a par with newer lenses for picture quality.

Not by a long shot. What do you base that outrageous statement on? Have you even used the newest zooms in this range? The current zoom with image stabilization will focus faster and with more accuracy. It is sharper wide open, has less chromatic aberration, less distortion and much more contrast and 'pop'.

The 80-200 was a great lens when it was released in 1989 but does not stand up to modern zooms when used on modern DSLR's with high pixel densities.